Interview: Foulard

This article previously appeared on Crossfader

Foulard is a new project from Paris’s Michele Pane and Milan’s Dumbo Gets Mad. Last October I had the pleasure of hearing some of their new material and drumming for them in Hollywood at Good Times at Davey Wayne’s. Foulard has since returned to Europe, but I had the pleasure of catching up with the duo in the wake of the video release for their debut single, “Pleasure Pleasure,” which you can watch here.

Ted Davis: Even though Foulard is affiliated with Dumbo Gets Mad, Foulard’s sound is much more mature and danceable. What distinguishes DGM and Foulard?

Michele Pane: Foulard was created as an attempt to be able to express ourselves in a completely different way than what we have done in the past. In DGM and my band The Quincey, there were more than just two (people) to envision and shape the project, whereas in Foulard, it is just us who are composing and writing everything, making the creative process much different than what we were used to. Foulard has more of an Italo-dance flavor, while also hinting towards the L.A. and French vibes.

TD: With Luca in Milan, Michele in Paris, and Lolipop Records in Los Angeles, how do you work as a band with an identity in three different countries on two different continents? Is there a city that you consider home, or is being nomadic part Foulard’s musical identity?

MP: At times it can be difficult to battle the time difference between L.A. and Europe, but luckily we are living in an age where perception of distance has completely changed. We stay in touch quite easily through many different mediums. For us, Reggio Emilia will always remain our “home base,” as it’s where we first met and where we can escape to .

TD: What does Foulard mean to you? What inspired your name?

MP: We were at our friends’ show one night, [and] I was wearing red foulard as it was winter time. It just sort of happened to become the object of inspiration for our name. We decided on it that night.

TD: Millions of people have already heard Luca’s music because of Dumbo Gets Mad, but Foulard is the first I’ve heard of Michele’s music. Michele, were you involved with any musical projects before working with Luca? How did you two meet and at what point did Foulard come to life?

MP: Actually, Foulard isn’t the first time that we worked together. I am a part of a band called The Quincey. Dumbo was our producer when we first started and we played together for one of The Quincey’s first shows in Reggio Emilia. As we are working on recording and writing new material for Foulard, Dumbo is working on a new album for DGM. The Quincey is also working on new material. We originally met in high school and have remained really close friends since. Foulard came to us after we visited a museum of musical instruments at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan and afterwards we got a hold of RCA Italiana equipment and began to experiment with it. We have always enjoyed jamming together and have become more serious about it.

TD: What are Foulard’s musical inspirations? What artists have had the biggest influence on Foulard’s identity?

MP: We’ve been mostly inspired by Italian and French library music from the ’70s, but we also have strong influences from Enzo Carella and Lucio Battisti.

TD: What can listeners expect next from Foulard? When will there be more new music and when can fans expect Foulard to return to the United States?

MP: Well, we are releasing our full EP, CHIC, very, very soon through LA-based label LoliPop Records. Meanwhile we are writing new material separately, and in March we are going to be together for a few days to record some new stuff. However, we are thinking of changing up the style and sound by bringing in a female vocalist to sing in French, and she will become more of the lead singer than Dumbo. We are planning to come back to the states sometime this year, likely in Autumn, and we can’t wait to be back!